Perhaps the only thing that changes more rapidly than technology in today's amped-up digital environment is the terminology used to describe that technology and its impact on consumers--and marketers. One recent example is the advent of the term "omnichannel" marketing, which many struggle to differentiate from another relatively recent term--"multichannel" marketing. Still, those who are most enmeshed in the field say there is a key distinction between the two, and it's one that will have an impact on marketers as they continue to seek ways of having a meaningful impact on the consumers they hope to engage. And, importantly, it's less about technology than it may seem.

The Martha Stewart Show: A Case of Keeping a Fresh Fan Base in the Offseason

The SolutionSnapApp provides its clients with a marketing platform that engages potential customers with quizzes, polls, and contests, which can be distributed via client websites, Twitter accounts, and Facebook pages. Potential customers can then provide their information such as name, address, and email address that SnapApp clients can use down the road for broader marketing strategies.

SnapApp, which is a subscription service that ranges from $49 to $499 a month, offers its clients services that range as wide as its pricing scale. At its basic price, SnapApp provides all the tools needed to generate and design a quiz or contest app; clients can then deploy the quiz or contest to their company Facebook pages, along with analytics to monitor it. Toward the higher end of its pricing scale, SnapApp provides collection and validation of marketing data and will even design and deploy the quiz or contest for clients. SnapApp also offers a range of custom services and pricing to better tailor its services to its clients' needs.

With the usage of SnapApp to create and deploy a Facebook page-based sweepstakes, MSLO offered an Ultimate Fan contest. Two first-prize winners each enjoyed two tickets to a live taping of The Martha Stewart Show and well-appointed gift baskets of Martha Stewart-brand products and books. The lucky winners were also treated to airfare to and from New York City and hotel accommodations, as well as lunch and a facial treatment at one of Stewart's favorite salons.

The contest was advertised via the show's Facebook page, television ads, and email in order to draw fans in. Again, SnapApp's ability to integrate with and operate on mobile platforms such as iPhone and Android only served to help effectively engage potential entrants. "If you first reach a potential contest participant on their cell phone or mobile device," explains Lieberman, "and they have to be on a physical computer to enter the contest, chances are you'll lose that person. What are the chances they'll remember to go back to a computer and enter the contest? With our integration on mobile platforms (cell phones and tablets) we're successfully preserving and capturing those potential entries as well."

The OutcomeIncluded on the entry form was an option to also register for the show's newsletter as well as the Mad Hungry newsletter (Mad Hungry is another show produced by MSLO) and an option to preview and subscribe to Martha Stewart Living magazine.

In roughly 2 months time, The Martha Stewart Show's marketing team saw inspiring results. Through the use of SnapApp, the team generated more than 30,000 entries into the Ultimate Fan contest, which resulted in about 78% of those who engaged with the sweepstakes entering it. More than three-quarters of the people who entered the contest signed up for the additional newsletters. The contest also generated more than 1,600 referrals to the contest. Hendricks admits the results gave the show "quite a boost."

As far as the integration of SnapApp into Martha Stewart's already-active Facebook page, Hendricks says, "It was really straightforward. ... It's really fast to execute a program on the Facebook platform. It was a really easy light-lift for us."

The Ultimate Fan sweepstakes was MSLO's first experience with SnapApp, and it took roughly 2 weeks from concept to execution to get up and running with the SnapApp platform. However, Hendricks explains that now that the team is familiar with SnapApp and has used it in several subsequent projects, the marketers are able to get a program from concept to execution within 5 days. He adds, "We're thrilled with how easy it is."